Careinfo.orgThe essential website for the social care sector2015-03-30T15:25:06Zhttp://www.careinfo.org/feed/atom/WordPressgeoffhttp://www.careinfo.orghttp://www.careinfo.org/?p=187852015-03-30T07:44:26Z2015-03-30T07:38:24ZBy guest blogger DEBBIE SORKIN, National Director of Systems Leadership at the Leadership Centre

In the European Union, there’s a saying bureaucrats use when negotiations between countries are taking place: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” In the case of the NHS Five Year Forward View, there’s a distinct sense that social care providers may not even have reached the list of ingredients in the recipe.

The Five Year Forward View, published last October, is an attempt by the NHS, along with other national bodies like CQC, to face up to the implications of its impending financial crisis and identify how, by integrating services much more and placing more emphasis on prevention, it can continue to provide a universal health service and improve the quality of care. This means more integration between health and social care, and social care playing ... Read More »]]>

By guest blogger DEBBIE SORKIN, National Director of Systems Leadership at the Leadership Centre

In the European Union, there’s a saying bureaucrats use when negotiations between countries are taking place: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” In the case of the NHS Five Year Forward View, there’s a distinct sense that social care providers may not even have reached the list of ingredients in the recipe.

The Five Year Forward View, published last October, is an attempt by the NHS, along with other national bodies like CQC, to face up to the implications of its impending financial crisis and identify how, by integrating services much more and placing more emphasis on prevention, it can continue to provide a universal health service and improve the quality of care. This means more integration between health and social care, and social care playing a central role in people’s health and wellbeing.

Although social care isn’t actually mentioned very much in the Forward View – I counted roughly a dozen mentions – and few examples are given, I think that social care providers – wherever they are in the system – should see this as an open invitation to get involved, and take it. One way is to get involved with the new models of care that are now on the table: “Multispeciality Community Providers” – GP networks combined with other services, including mental health and social care, to create integrated out-of-hospital support; “Primary and Acute Care Systems” which combine hospital, primary and social care; and enhanced models of care in residential care homes.

There are 29 “Vanguard” sites around the country putting these into practice, and another 230 that applied, didn’t make it and will still be going ahead. There’s more information about them, and where they are, on the NHS England website. We already have great examples of social care providers working in partnership with CCGs and acute NHS Trusts. So if your local CCG or acute trust hasn’t yet been in contact with you, be proactive: get in touch with them and show them how you can help.

And persevere – I sometimes describe social care as the ‘invisible river’ running underneath, and supporting, healthcare, and there’s something of this in the glimpses of social care in the Five Year Forward View. But it doesn’t have to be this way: and it can’t if we’re to have a care service that works in accordance with what people want and need. The Five Year Forward View is an open door, and social care should be storming through it with all the force it can muster.

– Debbie.sorkin@localleadership.gov.uk; @DebbieSorkin2 on Twitter.

The CT Blog is written in a personal capacity – comments and opinions expressed are not necessarily endorsed or supported by Caring Times.

]]>0geoffhttp://www.careinfo.orghttp://www.careinfo.org/?p=187782015-03-24T09:49:15Z2015-03-24T09:49:15ZCaring Times Latest

Following a 9% increase for 2015/16, care homes will have to pay considerably more in registration fees from April.

The Care Quality Commission announced the increase in late March, following a public consultation last year and approval from the Secretary of State for Health. In the announcement, CQC gave the example a care home with 21 to 25 beds, which would have to pay an increase of £238.

The regulator said it would publish a calculator on its website in April to help providers work out their exact fees for 2015/16, alongside detailed fees guidance.

In the summer, CQC will introduce the option for providers to pay by instalments and by direct debit, to help them manage their cash flows.

]]>Caring Times Latest

Following a 9% increase for 2015/16, care homes will have to pay considerably more in registration fees from April.

The Care Quality Commission announced the increase in late March, following a public consultation last year and approval from the Secretary of State for Health. In the announcement, CQC gave the example a care home with 21 to 25 beds, which would have to pay an increase of £238.

The regulator said it would publish a calculator on its website in April to help providers work out their exact fees for 2015/16, alongside detailed fees guidance.

In the summer, CQC will introduce the option for providers to pay by instalments and by direct debit, to help them manage their cash flows.

]]>0geoffhttp://www.careinfo.orghttp://www.careinfo.org/?p=187512015-03-23T09:44:43Z2015-03-23T09:44:43ZCaring Times Latest

Four Seasons Health Care, Bupa and HC-One, the three biggest operators in the UK’s £24bn care home market, have been joined by the GMB union in warning that the system is in crisis.

GMB, which includes care home staff in its membership, have publicly support the warning from Britain’s biggest providers of care homes for elderly people that cuts to public funding for residents are ‘unsustainable’ and that more homes will close unless the situation improves. GMB national officer for social care Justin Bowden said repeated warnings from GMB that Southern Cross would collapse had been repeatedly ignored by government.

“Warnings that the entire care sector is in a slow motion collapse, albeit for different reasons to Southern Cross, are falling on the same deaf ears,” said Mr Bowden.

“If we are not prepared to learn the lessons of history, we ... Read More »]]>

Caring Times Latest

Four Seasons Health Care, Bupa and HC-One, the three biggest operators in the UK’s £24bn care home market, have been joined by the GMB union in warning that the system is in crisis.

GMB, which includes care home staff in its membership, have publicly support the warning from Britain’s biggest providers of care homes for elderly people that cuts to public funding for residents are ‘unsustainable’ and that more homes will close unless the situation improves. GMB national officer for social care Justin Bowden said repeated warnings from GMB that Southern Cross would collapse had been repeatedly ignored by government.

“Warnings that the entire care sector is in a slow motion collapse, albeit for different reasons to Southern Cross, are falling on the same deaf ears,” said Mr Bowden.

“If we are not prepared to learn the lessons of history, we are destined to repeat them.”

The pre-election period is always one which at best is entertaining and is sometimes surreal. We are faced with a succession of party leaders and other politicians tripping over themselves to make promises of what they will and will not do, should they be successful in the election.

Many of these promises/pledges are aimed at very specific parts of our society. Young people – the promises of reduced university fees; elements of society who are working in a lower paid jobs, thus the promise of an increase in the minimum wage and/or pledges of working towards the living wage. And of course the constant stream of promises regarding funding for the National Health Service.

Large numbers of lobby groups either formal or informal attempt with varying degrees of success to persuade the range of political ... Read More »]]>

The pre-election period is always one which at best is entertaining and is sometimes surreal. We are faced with a succession of party leaders and other politicians tripping over themselves to make promises of what they will and will not do, should they be successful in the election.

Many of these promises/pledges are aimed at very specific parts of our society. Young people – the promises of reduced university fees; elements of society who are working in a lower paid jobs, thus the promise of an increase in the minimum wage and/or pledges of working towards the living wage. And of course the constant stream of promises regarding funding for the National Health Service.

Large numbers of lobby groups either formal or informal attempt with varying degrees of success to persuade the range of political parties to make promises which will satisfy their own vested interests in some way. We know that the political parties have varying degrees of concern regarding the turn out of their voters. It is often noted that many more older people vote than younger people, but do older people represent a lobby group?

Are older people one large homogenous voting block who will vote purely based on what is on offer for older people? e.g. changes in the rules regarding annuities or the raising of the inheritance tax threshold, or indeed contributions towards care fees? Many older people (there is some elasticity on the definition of old) will vote in the way they have always voted. The likelihood is that they will vote on wider political issues or on traditional lines which they or their families have always done. During the course of any Parliament many of us will not be happy with specific, narrow issues which we do not like, however, will these particular issues rank of sufficient importance to actually dictate the way in which we vote?

When it comes to the privacy of the polling booth, I think we are actually not influenced by minor or peripheral issues. Hence my belief that older voters will not be turned on, or off, by their interpretation of the implications of the Care Act, or indeed any other legislation or promises, geared specifically to older people. My suspicion is that there is no such thing as a grey lobby. It simply does not exist.

The CT Blog is written in a personal capacity – comments and opinions expressed are not necessarily endorsed or supported by Caring Times.

]]>0geoffhttp://www.careinfo.orghttp://www.careinfo.org/?p=187342015-03-16T08:58:52Z2015-03-16T08:58:52ZCaring Times Latest

A report published by the Health Select Committee published in mid-March has reviewed the state of end of life care, making a number of recommendations for improvement, including that social care should be free at the end of life.

Based on evidence from clinicians, charities and palliative care experts, the report found ‘great variation in quality and practice across both acute and community settings’ in England.

End-of-life care is defined as people expected to die within 12 months, most of whom will have incurable or progressive illnesses like dementia. Care minister Norman Lamb has said that the Government is looking carefully at a policy of free end-of-life care.

George McNamara, head of policy and public affairs at the Alzheimer’s Society, said people with dementia were currently obliged to pay a “dementia tax” of thousands of pounds for essential care, especially towards ... Read More »]]>

Caring Times Latest

A report published by the Health Select Committee published in mid-March has reviewed the state of end of life care, making a number of recommendations for improvement, including that social care should be free at the end of life.

Based on evidence from clinicians, charities and palliative care experts, the report found ‘great variation in quality and practice across both acute and community settings’ in England.

End-of-life care is defined as people expected to die within 12 months, most of whom will have incurable or progressive illnesses like dementia. Care minister Norman Lamb has said that the Government is looking carefully at a policy of free end-of-life care.

George McNamara, head of policy and public affairs at the Alzheimer’s Society, said people with dementia were currently obliged to pay a “dementia tax” of thousands of pounds for essential care, especially towards the end of their life.

“Dementia is all too often overlooked as a being a terminal illness and as a consequence, there are unacceptable failures to prepare and plan for end of life care,” said Mr McNamara.

“Many people with dementia die in hospital and are not given the choice or consulted about their care wishes. End of life care planning needs to be better. We welcome the call for free social care but our health and social care system needs to be person-centred, not system focused.”

If Manchester is indeed ‘the belly and guts of the nation’ as George Orwell described it in ‘The Road to Wigan Pier’, then what better place for the first serious trial of an integrated health and social care system?

Since the announcement in late February that Manchester is to become the first English region to run its own £6bn health and social care budget, the scheme has already attracted a wodge of big-hitting nay-sayers. To the fore is shadow health secretary Andy Burnham, the MP for the Greater Manchester seat of Leigh and frontrunner to succeed Ed Miliband, who warns that the plans could lead to a “Swiss-cheese NHS”. “Lancashire Crumbly” may be a good local cheesy metaphor for the present condition of the NHS.

But how else is it ever going to happen? The great and ... Read More »]]>

By Caring Times editor Geoff Hodgson

If Manchester is indeed ‘the belly and guts of the nation’ as George Orwell described it in ‘The Road to Wigan Pier’, then what better place for the first serious trial of an integrated health and social care system?

Since the announcement in late February that Manchester is to become the first English region to run its own £6bn health and social care budget, the scheme has already attracted a wodge of big-hitting nay-sayers. To the fore is shadow health secretary Andy Burnham, the MP for the Greater Manchester seat of Leigh and frontrunner to succeed Ed Miliband, who warns that the plans could lead to a “Swiss-cheese NHS”. “Lancashire Crumbly” may be a good local cheesy metaphor for the present condition of the NHS.

But how else is it ever going to happen? The great and the good have been banging on about the need for ‘joined-up services’ for years and it is patently clear that the NHS has not evolved to effectively respond to the demands of a complex modern society. It cannot match the capabilities of modern medicine and is no longer fit for purpose. Let’s see how Manchester gets on – it could be a significant step towards a brave new world.

Richard Humphries, assistant director of policy at The King’s Fund, has said Manchester was chosen because of the strength of local relationships. Let’s hope the belly and guts of the nation doesn’t find health and social care integration too difficult to digest.

The CT Blog is written in a personal capacity – comments and opinions expressed are not necessarily endorsed or supported by Caring Times.

]]>2geoffhttp://www.careinfo.orghttp://www.careinfo.org/?p=187292015-03-12T12:44:52Z2015-03-12T12:44:52ZCaring Times Latest

Guidance issued on displaying ratings Final guidance has been issued by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on how care providers should display their performance ratings determined by the regulator.

CQC has developed a suite of posters that will be automatically generated through the regulator’s website for all care services that receive a CQC rating to download, print and display.

CQC chief executive David Behan said people could expect to start seeing performance ratings on provider websites as well as across premises, public entrances and waiting areas of care services from 1st April.

“We know that our ratings are an important source of information to support people’s choice of service,” said Mr Behan.

“The aim of this new requirement is all about helping to achieve better awareness and greater transparency for members of the public about which care services are Outstanding, Good, Require ... Read More »]]>

Caring Times Latest

Guidance issued on displaying ratings Final guidance has been issued by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on how care providers should display their performance ratings determined by the regulator.

CQC has developed a suite of posters that will be automatically generated through the regulator’s website for all care services that receive a CQC rating to download, print and display.

CQC chief executive David Behan said people could expect to start seeing performance ratings on provider websites as well as across premises, public entrances and waiting areas of care services from 1st April.

“We know that our ratings are an important source of information to support people’s choice of service,” said Mr Behan.

“The aim of this new requirement is all about helping to achieve better awareness and greater transparency for members of the public about which care services are Outstanding, Good, Require Improvement or Inadequate.”

The CQC guidance of the display of ratings is as follows:

If you have been awarded a CQC rating (outstanding, good, requires improvement or inadequate) you must display it in each and every premises where a regulated activity is being delivered, in your main place of business and on your website(s) if you have any, where people will be sure to see it. This is a legal requirement from 1st April 2015.

Your ratings must be displayed at the premises where your service is being provided unless you are delivering care to someone in their own home.

CQC will assess whether or not your ratings are displayed legibly and conspicuously – not doing so may result in a fine and may impact on future inspection ratings.

CQC will make posters for physical display of your ratings available to download from our website. Using our posters will ensure that you include all the information as set out in the Regulation.

You must display your rating online if you have a website(s). You can use the CQC templates for online display to help you do so. These are available from our Ratings display toolkit page. – You have a maximum of 21 calendar days to display your ratings from the date your inspection report is published on the CQC website.

– CQC’s final guidance for care providers on how to display their ratings is available to view here: http://www.cqc.org.uk/content/display-ratings

]]>0geoffhttp://www.careinfo.orghttp://www.careinfo.org/?p=186972015-03-09T08:45:03Z2015-03-09T08:43:33ZCaring Times Latest

Using data obtained under freedom of information legislation, the United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA) has released figures which it says show the national and regional picture of under-funding of homecare services for older people across the United Kingdom.

The UKHCA says its report exposes the level of risk that councils in Great Britain (and health and social care trusts in Northern Ireland) place on a system intended to support older people. Of the 203 authorities where an average price could be established, just 28 councils paid their independent and voluntary sector homecare providers fees at or above UKHCA’s minimum price for homecare of £15.74 per hour. The average price for an hour for homecare for older people in a sample week was:

Using data obtained under freedom of information legislation, the United Kingdom Homecare Association (UKHCA) has released figures which it says show the national and regional picture of under-funding of homecare services for older people across the United Kingdom.

The UKHCA says its report exposes the level of risk that councils in Great Britain (and health and social care trusts in Northern Ireland) place on a system intended to support older people. Of the 203 authorities where an average price could be established, just 28 councils paid their independent and voluntary sector homecare providers fees at or above UKHCA’s minimum price for homecare of £15.74 per hour. The average price for an hour for homecare for older people in a sample week was:

United Kingdom: £13.66 per hour

England: £13.77 per hour

Wales: £14.28 per hour

Scotland: £13.68 per hour

Northern Ireland: £11.35 per hour

UKHCA’s policy director Colin Angel said the findings highlighted the exceptionally low rates paid in Northern Ireland; a north-south divide across England; and the impact of dominant purchasing power of councils in Greater London.

“Continued constraints on local government funding can only exacerbate an already critical situation,” said Mr Angel.

“Low prices paid for homecare services carry a number of risks, including poor terms and conditions for the workforce, insufficient resources to organise the service and insufficient training for the complex work that supports the increasingly frail and disabled individuals who qualify for state-funded support.

“Unless this underfunding is addressed, the independent and voluntary sector will continue to struggle to recruit and retain care workers with the right disposition, training and qualifications. Ultimately, the care market will become commercially unsustainable for the providers who deliver most of the homecare purchased by the state within the UK.”

The report makes recommendations for councils, providers and government in all four UK administrations, including effective oversight of authorities’ commissioning practices by independent regulators.

The Homecare Deficit: A report on the funding of older people’s homecare across the United Kingdom” is available from www.ukhca.co.uk/downloads.aspx?ID=458

Living in one of the 4% of households in the UK which doesn’t have a television, I care very little whether or not David Cameron takes part in a televised debate.

Too much hangs on how politicians perform in front of the cameras and microphones. Think of Natalie Bennet – one bad radio interview on an “off-day” and the entire Green Party’s credibility plummets in the minds of the masses, and think what you like about UKIP but Mr Farage has to tread a media gauntlet ready to pounce on the slightest hint of inconsistency as he answers questions on the hoof.

The minor parties (and for all the media noise, UKIP remains a minor party in terms of seats in Parliament) are easy targets for journalists in search of a story. The major parties are given ... Read More »]]>

By Caring Times editor Geoff Hodgson

Living in one of the 4% of households in the UK which doesn’t have a television, I care very little whether or not David Cameron takes part in a televised debate.

Too much hangs on how politicians perform in front of the cameras and microphones. Think of Natalie Bennet – one bad radio interview on an “off-day” and the entire Green Party’s credibility plummets in the minds of the masses, and think what you like about UKIP but Mr Farage has to tread a media gauntlet ready to pounce on the slightest hint of inconsistency as he answers questions on the hoof.

The minor parties (and for all the media noise, UKIP remains a minor party in terms of seats in Parliament) are easy targets for journalists in search of a story. The major parties are given a much smoother ride in comparison and it seems we will forgive them anything, no matter how corrupt their practices, how vague their policies and how egregiously they break their promises.

Given the ageing demographic, one would have thought there would be ever increasing support for a “Grey Party” but clever Mr Farage seems to be pre-empting this by garnering the grey vote to his own faction – in late February he said UKIP would spend an extra £3bn a year on the health service, with a commitment to invest £650m by 2020 in dementia research – double the amount set out by David Cameron. Music to the ears of my Great Aunt Mabel – if she remembers to vote.

But, given his desire for an Australian-style ‘points system’ to regulate immigration, I wonder how many points Mr Farage would accord to the qualities of caring and compassion which immigrant social care workers bring to the nation’s care homes.

The CT Blog is written in a personal capacity – comments and opinions expressed are not necessarily endorsed or supported by Caring Times.

A friend of mine is an unreconstructed socialist. Whenever we meet for dinner we end up having the old debate about public versus private. With public transport and utilities I find myself in accord with him, but then we move on to the NHS and social care, and sparks begin to fly. We always end up agreeing to disagree and move on to safer topics like the Middle East, but these debates do help me to sharpen my thinking about social care.

More importantly, it makes me realise that there are many people who think as my friend does; that all private care providers put profits before people and pay their staff peanuts in order to reap their ill-gotten gains. I suppose I must dignify this specious perspective with a brief refutation (although I could go on ... Read More »]]>

By Caring Times editor Geoff Hodgson

A friend of mine is an unreconstructed socialist. Whenever we meet for dinner we end up having the old debate about public versus private. With public transport and utilities I find myself in accord with him, but then we move on to the NHS and social care, and sparks begin to fly. We always end up agreeing to disagree and move on to safer topics like the Middle East, but these debates do help me to sharpen my thinking about social care.

More importantly, it makes me realise that there are many people who think as my friend does; that all private care providers put profits before people and pay their staff peanuts in order to reap their ill-gotten gains. I suppose I must dignify this specious perspective with a brief refutation (although I could go on for pages). Briefly then; monopoly stifles change, and poor practice, malpractice and the ascendancy of ‘the system’ can quickly spread and establish itself thoughout the entire structure. Whistleblowing is made that much more difficult (where else could you find a job in social care, were there only the one provider?). That’s enough to be going on with.

My main point is that this public/private polarisation is still with us in spades (and many, like my friend, confuse ‘not-for profit’ providers with public provision). It will take a long time to heal the rift and it has tended to become (forgive me) an ‘elephant in the room’ where politicians, commissioners and yes, providers, attribute problems to anything other than this fundmental attitudinal division.

The CT Blog is written in a personal capacity – comments and opinions expressed are not necessarily endorsed or supported by Caring Times.